Citibank, also known as Citigroup, or Citi, is a financial services company which receives a lot of consumer complaints to our law firm for phone harassment and annoying robocalls. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
Who is Citibank?
Citibank offers consumer credit through a variety of retailers and banks. Citibank Financial’s in-house collections and billing departments have received a number of consumer complaints alleging financial crimes. If you have been contacted by Citibank, make sure you know your rights before responding.
According to Wikipedia, Citibank is the consumer division of Citigroup, and was founded in 1812 as The City Bank of New York. It has multiple subsidiaries throughout the world including Citibank Australia, China, and Uganda. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) confirms 1812 as the year the bank was founded. Citibank’s website reports a net income of 4.6 billion, or 1.68 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018.
Citibank offers numerous give-back-to-the-community programs through Citi Community Development funding, including Food Business Pathways, a free business training program for female residents of public housing, intended to help them start their own business. Recently they partnered with LISC to commit one million dollars to retraining displaced workers with the skills they need to compete in the present job market. Their website states they are committed to “supporting the next generation of bright minds.”
Citibank boasts of being “the world’s largest credit card issuer, “with “more than 142 million accounts, $499 billion in annual purchase sales, and $154 billion in average receivables across Citi Branded Cards and Citi Retail Services.”
There are 56 million Citi Branded Card users worldwide generating a staggering $418 billion in purchase sales. Acquired in 2016, their Costo co-brand credit card portfolio has generated millions of new accounts and $166 billion in sales. Citbank also recently revamped Prestige, their premium rewards travel credit card, to offer more benefits.
Citi’s Global Consumer Bank (GCB) “serves as a trusted partner to more than 100 million customers in 19 markets worldwide.” In 2017, GCB had $297 billion in average loans.
How Many Complaints are there against Citibank?
Since July 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has logged over 651,592 complaints against Citi, ranging from communication tactics to attempting to collect a debt not owed to false representation and making threats. The BBB’s profile page for Citi lists 3,974 complaints closed in the past three years, with 1,288 closed in the past 12 months. Most of these complaints were about problems with product and service, but a significant portion also concerned billing and collection issues. Of the 93 customer reviews, 91 are negative. Justia lists at least 15 cases of civil litigation that name Citibank as a defendant.
Can you help me file a No Cost Lawsuit against Citibank?
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Cases filed in Federal Court
In October 2017, Lemberg Law filed a lawsuit against Citibank in the Northern District of Georgia for Violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Plaintiff was receiving calls to her cell phone using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS). In September of 2017, before litigating, a cease and desist letter was sent on behalf of the Plaintiff to Citibank, requesting that all calls stop. Despite this, the calls continued. Lemberg Law was requesting $500.00 in damages for each call in violation of the TCPA. Case recently settled for a cash settlement as well as waiver of the client’s outstanding debt.
In January 2018, Lemberg Law also filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York Federal Court on behalf of an out-of-work client who had been receiving three to four phone calls a day regarding an outstanding debt. Plaintiff rescinded permission for the calls by speaking to a live representative who came on the line. Disregarding this, Citibank continued to place automated calls to Plaintiff’s phone. Within a matter of weeks, Lemberg Law was able to secure a settlement for the Plaintiff that not only waived his debt but granted him a cash reward.
Citibank Contact Information
Citibank 399 Park Avenue New York, New York 10043 Telephone: (605) 731-3076
Citibank Calling You?
Understanding Your TCPA Rights
The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a law that prohibits telemarketers, banks, debt collectors, and other companies from using an autodialer or robocalls to call you either at home, or on your cell phone without your consent.
The rules of the TCPA and of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), control telephonic collection practices. The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enforces the rules and regulations of both Acts.
These laws also provide individuals with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For instance, the TCPA provides monetary compensation to consumers who can prove harassment. In the case of willful harassment, this compensation can be increased three times. As a result, entities can be fined up to $500 if case harassment is proved. In case willful violation is proved, this compensation can be up to $1500.
Here are some numbers Citibank may be using to call you
888-532-0423
Ready to Stop the Calls from Citibank? Your phone harassment checklist:
These robocalls are prohibited:
Calls made without your prior written consent to the business
Calls to a residential line listed on the “Do-Not-Call Registry”
Calls by telemarketers and debt collectors between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Calls that do not provide the name of the caller, identify the business behind the call and provide a contact phone number or address
Calls that do not provide an automatic opt-out mechanism
Calls that violate the law, such as making misrepresentations or threats
To spot potential Citibank robocalls, listen for signs like these:
A silent pause between when you answer the call and when the caller begins to speak
An audible click just after you answer the call
A prerecorded message instead of a live person on the other end
A hang-up after you answer
To prepare for a TCPA lawsuit, there are certain steps you can take to strengthen your case:
For each suspected robocall, make a note of the date and time of the call, the caller’s name, and their contact information.
Describe the contents of any prerecorded message, or of the conversation you had if you spoke to a live representative.
Save copies of any relevant cell phone call logs, voicemails, text messages, and cell phone bills.
Keep a copy of any letter or online contact you send to the caller that asks them to stop calling.
If you’ve been harassed by debt collectors and even one of these has happened to you, we can help. We will fight for your rights. We can make them STOP!✋
The Lemberg Law legal team is committed to holding debt collectors accountable, so complete our form for a FREE case evaluation, or call 844-685-9200NOW
What Our Clients are Saying
“Lemberg Law has been great in handling my harassment case . They got the robocalls to stop when I was unable to get my number taken off the company’s list on my own. I highly recommend this law firm to anyone having an issue with pushy bill collectors harassing you”
“Was getting harassed by phone calls. Looked for an attorney that could help online and found Lemberg Law. They took care of everything and kept in contact with me just the right amount. Never expected anything would come of it but they did all the work and it relieved a lot of stress in my life!”
“Lemberg Law was a great choice. They really helped me with my situation. They were very professional and answered any questions I had and responded to my calls and emails. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to others.”
Can You Help Me Eliminate Citibank Harassment?
Yes, chances are we can. Call us to today and we’ll tell you how we can help.
Sound Off!
Have you had a bad experience with this agency’s debt collectors? Sound off and share your experience with other visitors in the comment box below.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
Citibank is ridiculous, 10-12 robocalls per day for the last 3 months. I wish I could sue for $1,000 for each robocall.
Peter B
1. Payment record errors are too frequent
2. Website logon requires loading site in incognito mode
3. CitiBank app is a joke, it hangs while loading Terms & Conditions text, finally reports it cannot reach that page.
Incompetent and unethical.
Jeanne V
Like to Charge Citibank for $5000,- for hassling me with no ID phone calls 12x a day
Michel S
I have been a CITBANK card holder for the past year, my account is in good order (not in debt, paid in full on time) yet every month I continually receive robotic calls from: 458 207-2765 from their marketing center to give me promotional offers for balance transfers, etc. via pre-recorded voice.
Going online to customers account, there appears to be no way to redact permissions to receive robotic calls (giving them your phone number is a big mistake) – and states that by PROVIDING your phone number (which a customer must do) it automatically grants CITIBANK permission to abuse your phone number for marketing. ???
I’ve contacted their support to stop the harassing marketing calls (morning and night), but to no response. I used my phone for emergency purposes, and marketing done by email does not bother me (but I have no way of blocking numbers on my phone).
This overzealous marking and abuse of Customer contact information must be bridled !
Citibank is ridiculous, 10-12 robocalls per day for the last 3 months. I wish I could sue for $1,000 for each robocall.
1. Payment record errors are too frequent
2. Website logon requires loading site in incognito mode
3. CitiBank app is a joke, it hangs while loading Terms & Conditions text, finally reports it cannot reach that page.
Incompetent and unethical.
Like to Charge Citibank for $5000,- for hassling me with no ID phone calls 12x a day
I have been a CITBANK card holder for the past year, my account is in good order (not in debt, paid in full on time) yet every month I continually receive robotic calls from: 458 207-2765 from their marketing center to give me promotional offers for balance transfers, etc. via pre-recorded voice.
Going online to customers account, there appears to be no way to redact permissions to receive robotic calls (giving them your phone number is a big mistake) – and states that by PROVIDING your phone number (which a customer must do) it automatically grants CITIBANK permission to abuse your phone number for marketing. ???
I’ve contacted their support to stop the harassing marketing calls (morning and night), but to no response. I used my phone for emergency purposes, and marketing done by email does not bother me (but I have no way of blocking numbers on my phone).
This overzealous marking and abuse of Customer contact information must be bridled !